Pre-Olympic competitions are on the menu again this weekend with the Laser Worlds Championships in Germany, while the Star class is back in Hyères, France for the Star Worlds. The Canadian Sailing Team is well represented at both events. In other Olympic news, the International Sailing Federation has finalized their decision on the sailing equipment to be used in the 2016 Brazil games; I must admit I am a bit surprised with the outcome as we end up with many boats catering to similar athlete types.

The worst news for the CST is today's announcement that kite boarding will replace windsurfing in 2016; while I was aware of the on-going discussions to include kite boarding in the international World Cup and Championships events, I expected a much slower introduction of this exiting sport on the Olympic scene. Check out our reports from the ISAF meetings for the details!

Although recent weather patterns have forced the boats to commit to different routes, the leaderboard remains unchanged in the Volvo Ocean Race as the fleet sails north of the Virgin Islands on their way to Miami. With less than a hundred miles separating them, it is still anyone's game in the prevailing light air conditions.

Tuesday May 1st in Charleston, South Carolina, Cessna Citation won Leg 4 of the Global Ocean Race after leading the entire way; Financial Crisis soon followed them 23 hours later. The Dutch and South African Class40's crossed the finish line on Thursday with Phesheya-Racing taking third and Sec. Hayai placing fourth. All boats are now safely in port looking ahead to the final leg across the Atlantic back to France on May 20th.

Finally, we share the grief of our colleagues in the California racing community following a second tragic accident early in the 2012 racing season. An aura of mystery still shrouds the most recent losses of life in the Newport to Ensenada race as the investigation continues. Our deepest condolences to families and friends of the Aegean crewmembers.

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